Re:Granted 9 years later = a 26 year monopoly! (Score 4)

This used to be the case, but in order to bring U.S. patent law in line with international standards (agreed to during the Uruguay round of GATT), Public Law No. 103-465 (December 8, 1994, the "Uruguay Round Agreements Act") changed the term of all U.S. patents from 17 years from the date of issuance to 20 years from the date of filing.

What this means is that the stalling "trick" you mention is no longer possible in the U.S.; holding up the issuance of a patent is no longer of any benefit to the patent holder.

The BT patent, though, was issued before the law changed, and thus is valid for 17 years from when it was issued in 1989.

See the USPTO website for details.